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Warlocks
Warlocks (or war-locksRise of the Horde pg. 259 & 268 on iBooks) are magical practitioners who seek to understand darker, fel-based magics, including destructive spellsUltimate Visual Guide pg. 21—abilities that are designed to destroy. Not all spells (or abilities) seem to destroy and refitting a spell for a new activity was not as simple as changing an incantation here, altering a motion there. It required a deep and precise understanding of how divination worked, of what it revealed and how. When a handmotion changes, or the type of incense used is deleted, the result is most likely complete failure, where the energies are dissipated harmlessly. Occasionally the energies may go wild and out of control, but usually the only result of a failed spell is a frustrated spellcaster. In studies, it was discovered that if a spell fails in a spectacular fashion, it indicates that the failed spell is very close to the final intended spell. The magics are trying to close the gap, to make things happen, though not always with the results intended by the caster. Of course, sometimes these failed magic-users did not survive the experience.The Last Guardian pg. 132-133 on iBooks Energies can be so chaotic that they manifest as entropic horrors, pure fel magic given form to lash out at all life.Quest:Collecting Corruption Willingly or otherwise, all creatures who use the power of fel magic slowly take on the appearance of demons.World of Warcraft > Game Guide > Dungeons, Raids, Scenarios > The Burning Crusade > The Blood Furnace > The Maker In the face of demonic power (or warlock magics), most heroes see death. Warlocks see only opportunity. Dominance is their aim, and they have found a path to it in the dark arts, the arts of necromancy. These voracious spellcasters summon demonic minions to fight beside them. At first, they command only the service of imps, but as a warlock’s knowledge grows, seductive succubi, loyal voidwalkers, and horrific felhunters join the dark sorcerer’s ranks to wreak havoc on anyone who stands in their master’s way.World of Warcraft > Game Guide > Classes > Warlock Background Arcane Mysteries Before life began, before even the cosmos took shape, there was Light ... and there was Void. The Light swelled across all existence in the form of a boundless prismatic sea. Great torrents of living energy flitted through its mirrored depths. The ocean of Light was dynamic and ever shifting. Yet as it expanded, some of its energies faded and dimmed, leaving behind pockets of cold nothingness. From the absence of Light in these spaces, a new power coalesced and came to be. This power was the Void, a dark and vampiric force driven to devour all energy, to twist all creation inward to feed upon itself. The Void grew and spread its influence, moving against the flowing waves of Light. The mounting tension between these two opposing yet inseparable energies eventually ignited a series of catastrophic explosions, rupturing the fabric of creation and birthing a new realm into existence. In that moment, the physical universe was born. The energies released by the clash of Light and Void raged across the cosmos, raw matter merging and spinning into primordial worlds without number. For long epochs, this ever-expanding universe-the Great Dark Beyond-broiled in a maelstrom of fire and magic.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 pg. 30-31 on iBooks The most common forms of life to appear were the elemental spirits. The elemental spirits are primitive and chaotic beings of fire, earth, air, or water. They were some of the first sentient creatures to inhabit the nascent worlds of the universe. The present of the fifth element—Spirit—also affects the disposition of these elemental beings. A world with an overabundance of Spirit may give rise to native elementals who are passive and lack physicality. Conversely, a world with too little Spirit may birth elementals who are highly aggressive and incredibly destructive. Occasionally, clouds of fractured Light gathered and gave shape of beings of far greater power, of far greater potential.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 pg. 31 on iBooks Composed of the primordial matter from which the universe was born, the titans are colossal godlike beings. Their spirits known-as world souls-formed deep within the deep within the fiery core of a small number of worlds. For ages, these nascent titans slumbered, their energies suffusing the celestial bodies they inhabited. When the titans finally awoke, they did so as living worlds. Cosmic winds howled across their gigantic forms, bodies shrouded in a cloak of stardust, skin crisscrossed with silver mountain peaks and oceans shimmering with latent magic. With eyes that shone line brilliant stars, they observed the fledgling cosmos and became enraptured by its mysteries. Whereas the naaru set out to safeguard life, the titans embarked on a different journey. They wandered the distant corners of the Great Dark, searching for others of their kind. This grand, far-reaching voyage would one day alter the course of creation and shape the destiny of all living things.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 pg. 32 on iBooks The Ordering of the Universe No one knows when or why the first titan awoke, but legends hold that his name was Aman'Thul. Though Aman'thul was alone, he knew in his heart that others of his kind must exist. Thus, he explored the worlds of the Great Dark Beyond, intent on finding more titans. In time, he discovered other nascent world-souls. Aman'Thul lovingly nurtured these newfound kin and roused them from slumber. Those who awakened devoted themselves to his noble search. Aman'Thul and his siblings later became known as the Pantheon. They were benevolent by nature, creatures aligned with order and stability.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 pg. 33 on iBooks Order, in reality, is most commonly perceived in reality, as arcane magic. This type of energy is innately, and wielding it requires intense precision and concentration. Conversely, Disorder is manifested as highly destructive fel magic. This brutal and extremely addictive energy is fueled by drawing life from living beings.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 pg. 17 on iBooks The Rise of Demons The most unstable energies coalesced in an astral dimension known as the Twisting Nether. The creatures that emerged from this turbulent realm were known as demons. They had been formed as a result of the Light and Void energies that had bled together at the borders of the Twisting Nether.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 pg. 39 on iBooks They delight in inflicting suffering, spreading corruption, and, of course, destroying all that is good. Most demons were once mortal and not all demons are sentient: various animals have been transformed into demons, for instance.The Warcraft Encyclopedia/Demons File:Horatio Plaguetouch.jpg|Horatio Plaguetouch: "The whispers in my ear are those of the Nether, hungering for your energy." File:Nethermaven Donna Chastain.jpg|Nethermaven Donna Chastain: "Embrace the Nether and all it has to offer." File:Vukora Netherflame.jpg|Vukora Netherflame: "What greater power is there than to unmake whatever you desire?" Some say demons come to the weak-willed in their sleep and urge them to find spells and make sacrifices.The Last Guardian pg. 173-174 on iBooks But the assumption that their victims are weak-willed is in error. There are more than enough venal farmhands who invoke a demonic force against a former lover, or stupid merchants who burn an invoice from a debtor with a black candle, badly mangling the name of some once great demonic power. But just as often there are those who walk willingly to the abyss, who feel themselves safe and sure and knowledge that they are powerful enough to harness the demonic energies that surge beyond the walls. They are in many ways even more dangerous than the common rabble for a near-failure in spellcasting is more deadly than a complete failure.The Last Guardian pg. 175 on iBooks Dark Practices "The demon's spellcasters allowed no limits to their imagination. They worked to create whatever their abilities allowed, the better to gain their ultimate goal. While the goal itself was not to be admired, the efforts of the warlocks surely were."The Demon Soul pg. 283 on iBooks File:Ritual of the Ages.jpg|Ritual of the Ages: Madness doesn't help in becoming a warlock, but it doesn't hurt either. File:Ritual Sacrifice TCG.jpg|Ritual Sacrifice: Warlocks use every tool at their disposal, including friends. File:Sever the Cord.jpg|Sever the Cord: One good death deserves another. Warlocks are the most volatile and insatiable of spellcasters. Though they often pledge themselves to the service of noble causes and are not innately evil, their desire to understand darker magics and exercise unwavering command over demonic forces breeds mistrust among even their closest allies. Warlocks peer into the Void without hesitation, leveraging the chaos they glimpse within to devastating ends in battle—their greatest abilities are fueled by the souls they’ve harvested from their victims. They exploit powerful Shadow magic to manipulate and degrade the minds and bodies of their enemies. They employ Fire magic, dropping hellish rain from the sky, to immolate the opposition. They summon and command indomitable demons from the Twisting Nether to do their bidding, or even to be sacrificed as the Warlock sees fit, empowering and protecting the dark caster from harm.World of Warcraft > Legion Class Preview Series: Warlock Demonic Punishment "No matter how learned and knowledgeable, how wise and wonderful, how powerful and puissant, there is always one more sliver of power, one more bit of knowledge, one more secret to be learned by any mage." - Medivh, Keeper of SecretsThe Last Guardian pg. 166 on iBooks File:Demonic Knowledge.jpg|Demonic Knowledge: "Everything has a cost. Everything." - Plague Fleshbane File:Necessary Sacrifice.jpg|Necessary Sacrifice: In the twilight, you will find all manner of contradiction. File:Sacrificial Vengeance.jpg|Sacrificial Vengeance: "Your sacrifice shall not go unrewarded." - Grand Marshal Goldensword To serve as instrument of the Twisting Nether is to hold an unshakable faith. Oftentimes the most dedicated warlocks become fanatical in their devotion, instruments of demons against those who dare defy the laws of the demonic. These warlocks are vengeful guardians of the demons—crusaders judging and punishing the wicked. Their resolute conviction in the demonic order of all things assures them that victory is inevitable—but they will fight to the end to ensure that the demons prevails. File:Nether Balance.jpg|Nether Balance: "Take what joo need and get rid of da rest." - Voidbringer Jindal'an File:Soulbond.jpg|Soulbond: "You'll do as I say, even if it means the death of you." File:Unholy Power.jpg|Unholy Power: "It is a tricky task to give a minion your power without relinquishing your soul in the process." - Pidge Filthfinder By their very nature, demons are leeches on the living universe—but the demonologist has mastered harnessing the power of these malefic beings. Warlocks harvest the souls of their defeated enemies; those specialized in the ways of demonology use this life essence to tap into the Void, pulling all manner of abomination from the chaos of the Twisting Nether. While such a practice is often considered by outsiders to be wicked and reckless, the demonologist maintains absolute control over the summoned creatures. These malignant entities are fully beholden to—and empowered by—the will of the warlock, until banished to the realm from whence they came.World of Warcraft > Legion Class Preview Series: Warlock File:Curse of Doom TCG.jpg File:Demonic Reclamation.png File:Eye of Kilrogg.jpg Please Note: Demons would be non-physical entities—disembodied spirits (which are undead)—because demons are from the Nether and the Nether is an astral dimension separate from the physical universe. However, despite knowing that the Twisting Nether is separate from the physical universe and that demons can't be physical beings, Matt Burns—writer at Blizzard—stated that he thinks there are physical stuff in the TN when he was asked if demons are non-physical beings that warlocks can give physical shells to.Matt Burns on Twitter Matt Burns presumably stated this in an attempt to trick others into believing that warlocks aren't necromancers, but he won't be able to fool everyone. The non-physical is separate from the physical and so physical entities cannot exist in a non-physical place. If physical entities can exist in a non-physical place, physical entities would be able to exist in things composed of the non-physical. If the physical can—and does—exist in the non-physical, the physical is not separate from the non-physical and so if demons are physical entities, Matt Burns is a liar for claiming that Twisting Nether is separate from the physical universe. Since demons would be spirits since they are from the Twisting Nether, an astral dimension separate from the physical universe, demonic power (or warlock magics) would be an astral power (or a spiritual power) that exists in - and is derived from - the Twisting Nether. However, when asked if perhaps warlocks were harnessing their power from the Twisting Nether, Sean Copeland—Blizzard's Lead Historian—lied, replying, "No, that'd be magi IIRC. They gain their power from the destruction of another source (recall the undead warlock in original cinematic)".The archive of lore tweets from Loreology Additionally, the vapid twit that Sean Copeland is stated that demons contain fel magic, but aren't "the" source.Loreology on Twitter (broken link) Because demons aren't the source of the demonic fel magic (which is what makes them demons), demons are constructs, which were never really aliveJeremy Feasel on Twitter according to Jeremy Feasel—Game Designer at Blizzard Entertainment. Yet the moron states that the wow team made warlocks about living demons - which is a lie - and that no one is telling liesJeremy Feasel on Twitter (which is another lie). File:Demonic Soulstone.jpg|Demonic Soulstone: "You're done when I say you're done." - Victor Baltus File:Soul Shard.jpg|Jar Soul: It does not reflect the face of the viewer, but rather the face of the soul trapped within. File:Soulstone.jpg|Soulstone: "The shadows will grant you another life; try not to waste it this time." - Pidge Filthfinder Necromancy extends to manipulating the souls of the dead and according to the fraud Jeremy Feasel, warlocks don't control souls even though they harvest/steal souls, implying that stealing a soul doesn't entail controlling where it goes.Jeremy Feasel on Twitter When he was asked how does the Haunt, Soulstone, and Soul Swap spell work since he believes warlocks don't control/manipulate souls, he replied, "Of course you use souls, you have soul shards. You dont use them to raise the dead though."Jeremy Feasel on Twitter There isn't anything that's preventing a warlock from using souls to raise the dead other than this liar's words and when he was asked if the warlocks' Soulstone ability is non-canon since he believes warlocks don't use souls to raise the dead, he stated it's ok to have your own definition of necromancy even after denying that warlocks control souls, stating "Control of souls vs. raising soulless UD".Jeremy Feasel on Twitter Jeremy seems ignorant because necromancy cannot be about raising soulless undead: The souls of the undead (Forsaken, PC death knights, ghouls, etc.) are imperfectly attached to their bodies; the dark magic that sustains them is a buffer that prevents their souls from properly joining with their bodies. This is why undead feel only faint sensations of pain or discomfort from most physical stimuli, and why the Light is so painful to their existence. The primary exception to this rule are liches, as liches bind their souls to a phylactery and then use the phylactery to generate a physical form; this process is why lich bodies look nothing like their mortal bodies, and also why you have to destroy a lich’s phylactery to truly kill them.World of Warcraft > Forums > Community > Story > Death Knights and souls? File:Drom'kor, Timewalker Necrolyte.jpg|Drom'kor, Timewalker Necrolyte: "I could use the timeways to cheat death, but why bother when there are more elegant ways?" File:Kena Shadowbrand.jpg|Kena Shadowbrand: Warlocks have the ability to convert their own life force into rewards - both material and evanescent. File:Zenith Shadowforce.jpg|Zenith Shadowforce: "I have drunk the life energies of my bitterest enemy, and they were sweet beyond the telling." According to the unscrupulous liar known as Justin Parker, warlocks have overlapping abilities with necromancers but pursue a discipline different from necromancers.Justin Parker on Twitter (broken link) One can conclude that Justin Parker (like Jeremy, Matt, and Sean) would state about anything to conflict with the fact that warlocks are necromancers. The very definition of a necromancer is a practitioner of necromancy. If warlocks have necromantic abilities (the abilities of necromancers) and practice necromancy, they are practitioners of necromancy (necromancers). Necromantic magic has many functions beyond simply raising the dead. Masters of this tainted field of magic can conjure festering diseases, harness the shadows into bolts of incendiary energy, and chill the living with the power of death. Necromancy can also be used to reconstruct the flesh of undead creatures, allowing them to function again even after the foul monsters have been destroyed.The Schools of Arcane Magic - Necromancy Destruction of Order File:Mazar.jpg|Mazar: "Many authorities on fel magic have thoroughly calculated that it will ultimate consume all who attempt to master it. Until that day arrives, though - wohoo!" File:Pagatha Soulbinder.jpg|Pagatha Soulbinder: "Do you have the courage to seize what you desire? Are you willing to do whatever you must to achieve your goals?" File:Rinni Gloomtrik.jpg|Rinni Gloomtrik: "So far, the Scourge have not impressed me much. They are no safer from my demonic powers than a living soul is." Destruction is the process of destroying structures, breaking them down into the parts that they are constructed of. Warlocks gain their power from destruction of a constructed source — a warlock can twist a soul to power destruction, presumably drawing the soul of an orderly structure, destroying it, and twisting its soul to power more destruction — ultimately resulting in the warlock gaining more power. An ancient language had a single word for "twisted souls". These were the things that were held in check by the warlock's will, but just barely. Twisted souls. Dae'mons. Demons.Rise of the Horde pg. 349-350 on iBooks Held in the thrall of unbridled hate and malice, they hungered for nothing less than the destruction of all life in the universe.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 pg. 38 on iBooks File:Embrace of the Nether.jpg|Embrace of the Nether: "A gift to the Nether and a punishment for you. Fair deal." - Rinni Gloomtrick File:Fel Fury.jpg|Fel Fury: "Let's see if you can survive through the fire and flames!" - Mazar File:Void Pact.jpg|Void Pact: "The Nether has more than enough room to accommodate you." - Pagatha Soulbinder The destruction warlock is well-versed in discharging a dizzying array of shadow, fel, fire, and chaos magics upon opponents that rattle souls and conflagrate bodies. They require little motivation for the havoc they wreak, happy to revel in the destruction they cause—thrilled at any opportunity to watch the world erupt in discord around them. In battle, Warlocks who command the power of destruction favor incantations of pure chaos and aggression. In this regard, they’d find a stronger kinship with fire mages than warlocks of other disciplines—'if not for their propensity to make use of magic deemed detestable by "all mage orders".'World of Warcraft > Legion Class Preview Series: Warlock File:Banish to the Nether.jpg|Banish to the Nether: Those who enter the Nether rarely return. File:Rain of Fire.jpg|Rain of Fire: This is the rain that falls in the Twisting Nether. File:Soul Trap.jpg|Soul Trap: Fel magic has a profound effect on the soul - both the victim's and the warlock's. Warlocks of the fel are diviners of fel secrets, balancing the ebb and flow of energies. Unparalleled skill is required to manipulate the volatile forces of the universe. These practitioners push their magical knowledge to its very limits—often to the brink of their own exhaustion, and at great risk to the world around them. Those who master this craft are capable of releasing a barrage of unrelenting power upon their enemies, drawing upon replenishing energies to maintain their assault for as long as the battle demands. Discipline, Pain, and Suffering File:Mias the Fair.jpg|Mias the Fair: "My future is bright. I see great things on the horizon." File:Drain Life.jpg|Life Drain: "Only one of us is coming out of this alive." - Mias the Fair File:Mias the Putrid.jpg|Mias the Putrid: Never has putrescence looked so inviting. Because the drawing of life is required to fuel the highly destructive fel magic, life must have something integral to the demonic fel magic. If life doesn't have something integral to fel magic, it (life) would not need to be drawn because it (life) doesn't have something fel magic needs. Additionally, it seems fel magic itself comes from life: To fuel fel magic, but an insignificant sacrifice--a living fish or two, a few strands of seaweed--is required.The Comic Volume 4 - Whispers: "Let me help you fight that monster...for fel magic is powerful...and we are near the sea. It requires but an insignificant sacrifice—a living fish or two, a few strands of seaweed—to fuel the magic." Sacrificial magic was considered the greatest violation of lifeQuest: Seeking the Soulstones - Blade's Edge Memory and the energies of life, known commonly as nature magic, promote growth and renewal in all things.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 pg. 16-17 on iBooks Aaron Rosenberg agrees that if fel magic uses life-energy as a power source, but is dark/destructive, it's at least some form of death magic,Aaron Rosenberg on Twitter stating it's his understanding that fel magic—the ways of the warlock—is a form of necromantic magic as well.Aaron Rosenberg on Twitter In addition, he confirmed it was Blizzard's intention for Fel magic to be Death magic.Aaron Rosenberg on Twitter However, it seems that Micky Neilson—former writer at Blizzard—believes Aaron Rosenberg is a liar, claiming that Fel magic is not the same as Death, even though it drains life.Micky Neilson on Twitter Death, in the form of necromantic magic, serves as a counterbalance to Life. It is an unavoidable force that breeds despair in mortal hearts and pushes everything toward a state of entropic decay and eventual oblivion.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 pg. 16 on iBooks File:Curse of Tongues.jpg|Curse of Tongues: Sister Clara gasped as she tried to speak and nothing but demonic utterances issued forth. File:Death Coil.jpg|Death Coil: Death is not something you can run from when it comes for you. File:Fear.jpg|Fear: It fled without a word ... unless "AAAAAGH!" counts as a word Fel is entropic as in "destroys" life to fuel the caster's spells and entropy is a thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a system's thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder or randomness in the system. According to how it is described: Fel is chaotic energy. Warlocks convert life into fel, draining the victim as a source of power.Dave Kosak on Twitter As highly destructive fel magic, Disorder - a lack of order - is a void in the sense that it is devoid of Order. Void would be chaotic since energies, naturally, want to spread out and become "messy", but Matt Burns thinks there are some exceptions to "that" rule when it comes to Warcraft powers since they are all magic.Matt Burns on Twitter However, Matt Burns thoughts doesn't change the fact that fel magic is technically void. File:Curse of Weakness.jpg|Curse of Weakness: "The squeezing grip of shadows is not easily broken." - Kileana File:Dark Justice.jpg|Dark Justice: "It is a price I am willing to pay." - Forang Deathrattle File:Timeless Shadow.jpg|Timeless Shadow: "Search for power in the places behind your soul where the Light cannot reach." - Drom'kor, Timewalker Necrolyte After spending much of their lives studying demons, preaching the tenets of their discipline, and pledging their full devotion to the demonic powers they follow, the most adept warlocks leave their towers of study to serve on the battlefield, as shepherd to flock. There, they use their fel powers to curse allies and worsen wounds. And while most stay behind the frontlines to aid their comrades, these unholy champions are also capable of smiting foes and carrying out profane justice. They’re also morally opposed to the use of Light and Holy magic—rather, they are exemplars of the incredible grace and power of the demonic and the Shadow, and even death cannot fully stop their healing capabilities. File:Drain Mana.jpg|Drain Mana: Tremendous power comes from a warlock's ability to sustain complex rituals. File:Undead Warlock using Life Tap.jpg|Life Tap: When the dark arts call for flesh, you can only trust your own. File:Mortal Delights.jpg|Mortal Delights: Power does not come without a price. Some warlocks pride themselves on pragmatism. They understand that light casts a shadow, that disorder is defined by order, and that true discipline stems from one’s ability to balance these opposing powers in services of a greater cause. While warlocks possess many virtues to aid their allies, they also dabble in the dark arts to debilitate their enemies—always exercising immense discipline to keep themselves away from the brink of insanity. Affliction Warlocks are the masters of shadow magic, indulging in fel energies that wither away their life force over time.World of Warcraft > Legion: Warlock Artifact Reveal Unlike shadow priests—deadliest when pushed to the brink of insanity—Affliction warlocks delight in using fel forces to cause intense pain and suffering in others. They revel in corrupting minds and agonizing souls, leaving enemies in a state of torment that would see them undone in due time. Even the most battle-hardened warriors can be deceived, landing blow after blow against the warlock, only to succumb to their suffering as their very vitality is siphoned away by the dark spellcaster.World of Warcraft > Legion Class Preview Series: Warlock The Kirin Tor The official teachings in the Violet Citadel, in Kirin Tor, is that demonology is to be eschewed, avoided, and abjured. Any attempt to summon demons are to be found out and stopped, and those involved are to be expelled. Or worse.The Last Guardian pg. 172 on iBooks The Tower The Tower is where the knowledge of dark magiks are revealed. Warlocks reside here to focus their energies towards harnessing the forces of the underworld. Their sect demands payment in precious metals for any services they may offer, as it is then converted into the mystic symbols used in their castings. Metal cages in which to place the subjects of their experiments must be constructed, as well as the ornate metal runes that need to be built into the stone floors for their spells of summoning. Only the blacksmith can provide the needed materials and skills required to meet these exacting specifications.Warcraft: Orcs & Humans manual References Category:Lore Category:Class